Exploding Kittens

By Jiya Bhatt

Jiya is a senior majoring in Microbiology.

When I was six months old, I was diagnosed with a rare genetic blood disorder called Transfusion-Dependent Beta Thalassemia, which is a long name for a seemingly simple issue: my blood cells don’t carry enough oxygen to keep me at the proper energy level. So every other week, I would go to the hospital near my home (my unit 42, if you will) and get my “go-go juice” (units of blood to boost my energy). This was my reality ever since I could remember. 

I will be transparent: I have memories that make me smile and ones that don’t. Tough surgeries and long hospital stays took me a long time to open up about my blood condition and talk about what I experienced as a kid. I would make excuses about why I wasn’t at school to my friends and avoid talking about my condition because it made me feel alone. 

But between all the complexities of living with a rare disease, there was a child life volunteer. His name was Ron, and he always worked Thursday morning shifts. Every time he saw me check in, he would drop by my room to play a few rounds of my favorite game, exploding kittens. 

It was always a good time when he came by– we laughed over trying to teach my dad how to play (he sucked) and we would argue about what the cards actually meant so we would flip through that huge blanket of an instructions sheet to try to figure out the game. I would never say no to a round of Exploding Kittens, no matter how tired or sick I was. Even as I got older and moved on from elementary, middle, and eventually, high school. I still would never say no to a round of Exploding Kittens. 

On my last day of treatment at that hospital, he gave me a fist bump and said “go gators.” I’m not sure if he still volunteers there, but I wish that I could tell him about how he inspired me to volunteer when I got to UF. I joined Footprints because I wanted to give thanks to the child life volunteers, like Ron, who gave me something to smile about when I didn’t really feel like being a kid. They gave me strength to overcome the darkest of days and the courage to share my story, just as I am doing now. 

I joined Footprints because I want kids in the hospital to remember that they aren’t in this alone. One of my favorite things about Footprints is the other volunteers around me that put on a show and act as silly as possible to simply make a kid laugh when they really need it. I needed people like them when I was a kid, and I still need those people now. I am eternally grateful for the family that footprints gave me, both on and off the unit. 

And I, too, will play as many rounds as it takes of exploding kittens to see kids crack a smile. There were people out there that always did the same for me.